The problem with Boric Acid is that it doesn't evaporate like other pesticides and it is not absorbed into the environment. It is toxic to cats in large quantities, but I personally wouldn't use it. It can cause depression, vomiting and diarrhea and if a cat is poisened by it, it has to be treated by dialysis. You can certainly use it in baseboards, behind counters or in places where you cat cannot reach it. I don't know about if the bug eats the boric acid and the cat then eats that bug, . ARe your cats treated with Frontline, Advantage or Revolution, as this will help the flea (if that is the bug you are talking about?) problem as well. Much luck

The problem with Boric Acid is that it doesn't evaporate like other pesticides and it is not absorbed into the environment. It is toxic to cats in large quantities, but I personally wouldn't use it. It can cause depression, vomiting and diarrhea and if a cat is poisened by it, it has to be treated by dialysis. You can certainly use it in baseboards, behind counters or in places where you cat cannot reach it. I don't know about if the bug eats the boric acid and the cat then eats that bug, . ARe your cats treated with Frontline, Advantage or Revolution, as this will help the flea (if that is the bug you are talking about?) problem as well. Much luck

Thanks, I will not be using boric acid! No they aren't treated with anything for fleas because I won't put pesticides on them, or feed them pesticides (heartgard). Its not fleas that's the problem its some other kind of little black bug - maybe some kind of ant? Not really sure. They like to hang around the water bowls.

Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.

Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.

I had ants coming in under the baseboard and swarming the cat bowls. I stuffed DE under the baseboards and put the cat bowls in the middle of a plate of DE. They've been gone for months so I don't do the plates anymore, but the baseboard is still packed.

Get some Diatomaceous Earth (crushed diatoms and not "earth" at all). It is like a fine powder and completely safe for both humans and animals. If you cannot obtain some from a plant nursery then try online. It MUST be human/food grade though. There is an industrial DE so stay away from that one.

I'm looking online for a place to buy it. Do you just put it down and the bugs eat it?

I'm looking online for a place to buy it. Do you just put it down and the bugs eat it?

No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.

No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.

Thanks for your help. I don't know if i can find it locally, so I'm going to buy some over the internet (I've found a couple sites) and hope it does the trick.

No, the bugs walk through it and it gets on their bodies. Diatomaceous Earth is made of crushed diatoms which are a miniscule crustacean from the sea. When crushed they are like a fine powder which is totally safe for humans and other mammals to eat but it is like sharp shards of glass to the bugs, cuts their exoskeleton and they die. The ants would carry it back to their nests and then kill the other ants.

Some farmers feed some of it to their animals to keep them from having internal parasites. Some humans even take some on a regular basis for the same reasons.

Very interesting and very useful knowledge, never heard of DE before. Will file this into my mental kitty tool box for future reference!

YES!!!! I will and I just asked my DH this morning about DE and he said "WHAT!!!!" Don't give that to the cats!!! That is what I used for cleaning pool filters many years ago!!!!!". I would definitely get the human grade DE if I were ever to need it. Thanks though

I just used boric acid on the carpet because there are some sort of mites biting me at my work. I read that it wasn't toxic to cats! I put it down for about 45 min, while my cat was in another room and

sleeping, and then vacuumed the rug twice. Do you guys think I should be concerned about my cat getting sick from that application?